Now Flattr-ing

Having received my Flattr invite, I’ve now added buttons to this blog and hope to retire early on the proceeds. (EDIT: They’re now just on the individual post pages, since they load rather slowly)

Flattr is a system whereby people can show their appreciation of content on the web. It works by allowing you to donate a proportion of a fixed amount of money every month to whomever you want. I’m setting aside 2 euros per month (but it could be any amount). If I click a Flattr button twice this month, two people will get a Euro each. If I click ten times, ten people will get 20 cents each, and so on. If I click nothing, my 2 euros will go to charity.

If you like my thing, and have a Flattr account, you can show your appreciation too. I don’t expect the get much, if anything, but the web is a free global publishing system with Google indexing it. If I were an upcoming musician, an author or an artist, Flattr might make my situation completely different.

I can’t hit the button unless I sign up. I can’t sign up without being both a flattrer and a flattree. Makes it a zero-sum game – a static pool of money being redistributed round the same group of individuals.

Flattr is based on hard currency (Euros currently) which can be withdrawn, so in that sense your criticism would probably apply to all systems of fiscal exchange. Would you class PayPal as being a “circle-jerk” as well? Is the Vietnamese Dong similarly pointless?